Kerry says Syria's Assad cannot in any way be part of transition

UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon (far left) opens the so-called Geneva II peace talks as US Secretary of State John Kerry (second right) listen US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Wendy Sherman (far right), on Jan 22, 2014, in Montreux. Syria's Bashar al-Assad can have no place in a transition government because he has lost legitimacy to lead,Mr Kerry said on Tuesday, Jan 21, 2014, at the launch of peace talks to end Syria's civil war. -- PHOTO: AFP

MONTREUX (REUTERS) - Syria's Bashar al-Assad can have no place in a transition government because he has lost legitimacy to lead, United States Secretary of State John Kerry said on Tuesday at the launch of peace talks to end Syria's civil war.

Mr Kerry said the conference in the Swiss town of Montreux was a test for the international community to find a solution to end the fighting.

"We see only one option, negotiating a transition government born by mutual consent," Mr Kerry said. "That means that Bashar al-Assad will not be part of that transition government. There is no way, no way possible, that a who has led a brutal response to his own people can regain legitimacy to govern."